Best Sadf Podcasts (2024)

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Episode 113 - More details about the fierce fighting when PLAN invaded Namibia in April 1989 24:27

1y ago24:27

24:27

This is episode 113, we’re wrapping up the series with the final days of South West Africa as the country became Namibia. I’ll talk about the SADF’s departure later in this episode. First we need to go over the events in early April 1989 that almost put paid to the peace agreement. As you heard last week, SWAPO leader Sam Nujoma had ordered his mil…

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Episode 112 - SWAPO's Sam Nujoma pulls a fast one and UNTAG struggles to cope 23:07

1y ago23:07

23:07

So here we are, the sound of peace settled over Ovamboland, it was the end of 1988. The South Africans were actually in a much better position than it appeared. Yes, they were losing Namibia, and were going to also lose their vital strategic port of Walvis Bay. Still, UNITA was left out of the discussion, they would continue to fight against the An…

1
Episode 111 - Two Scorpions in a bottle and peace after 23 years 27:17

1y ago27:17

27:17

This is episode 111, in cricket the number is known as Nelson, it’s unlucky for the batting side, and players are expected to stand on one leg as the bowler launches his ball. It’s perhaps symbolic that we get to episode 111 at precisely the moment that the South Africans agree to peace after 23 years of fighting over South West Africa. Within a fe…

1
Episode 110 - Cuban MiG-23s bomb Calueque Dam and 11 SADF troops pay the price 21:21

1y ago21:21

21:21

When we left off last episode, the Cubans and Angolans were gearing up to face another invasion by 61 Mech and 4SAI, Operation Excite as it was to become known. But for once, the Cubans had decided that they’d seize the initiative and were about to launch a two pronged assault towards the South Africans from Xangongo. Just a quick recap, 61 Mech ha…

1
Episode 109 - A Bosbok survives a missile near miss as both the SADF and the Cubans gear up 21:02

1y ago21:02

21:02

We left off last week hearing that the Cuban 50th Division had been moved towards the SWA Border, a clear message to Pretoria that Fidel Castro was no longer going to tolerate the losses that he and FAPLA had endured in southern Angola. All this as the South Africans, Cubans, Angolans, Americans and Russians were negotiating the future of Namibia. …

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Episode 108 - Cubans start heading towards Calueque Dam and another South African POW 20:05

1y ago20:05

20:05

This is episode 108, it’s the 23rd June 1988 and the south Africans, Cubans, Angolans, Americans and Russians had gathered in Cairo for negotiations over the future of Namibia and the Cubans were seething. American Secretary of State for African Affairs Chester Crocker opened up the meeting by presenting the Cubans and Angolans with Pretoria’s comp…

1
Episode 107 – Reagan, Gorbachev, Ulysses the Bull, Fidel Castro: Diplomacy Breaks Out 21:19

1y ago21:19

21:19

Operation Hooper had ended in failure for the SADF and back in Pretoria, it was time to reassess the political and military situation. What had been achieved after 23 years of war - fighting ostensibly to stop SWAPO from seizing control of Namibia but really a war to buffer the apartheid state from the sweeping post-colonial independence movements.…

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Episode 106 – Operation Packer/Tumpo 3 and Castro’s obsession 20:48

1y ago20:48

20:48

More than two decades of conflict in Ovamboland and southern Angola had worn down South African military domination - tactical superiority was no longer certain. The initial approach which had been innovative and inspirational, fast, seat of the pants and smart, had slumped into attritional raging bull blow for blow brutality. It was March 1988, ti…

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Episode 105 – Citizen Force ou-manne train for the third Battle of Tumpo while Russians drink rice-vodka to forget 21:22

1y ago21:22

21:22

The Third Battle of the Tumpo Triangle was about to begin - the date - 23rd March 1988. The weary 61 Mechanised battalion had withdrawn, the men exhausted after 4 months of shifting about and fighting FAPLA, while their equipment was in worse shape. By 13th March the tattered 20 Brigade of which 61 Mech was part had arrived back at Rundu across the…

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Episode 104 – The SAAF raids Lubango and a tired 61 Mech launches the Battle of Tumpo II 21:22

1y ago21:22

21:22

Last episode we heard about the failed first battle of the Tumpo Triangle, officially known as Tumpo one which took place on February 25th 1988. You know that things aren’t going well when battles are numbered, and there would be three attempts at overrunning FAPLA in its defensive positions east of the Cuito River, outside Cuito Cuanavale. Still, …

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Episode 103 – The First Battle of Tumpo Triangle where 61 Mech faced a fierce FAPLA bombardment 24:14

1y ago24:14

24:14

It was D-Day for the next attack across the open ground east of the Tumpo Triangle, just outside Cuito Cuanavale in southern Angola. The town was now regarded as a moral prerequisite rather than strategic necessity, Luanda’s position here was no surrender, while in Pretoria, the political leadership knew that they could not take the town. This woul…

1
Episode 102 – 32 Battalion strikes Menongue Airfield and a Mirage is shot down 22:29

1+ y ago22:29

22:29

The South Africans were attacking FAPLA’s 59 Brigade, but had run into an ambush - Cubans operating Soviet tanks had laid up waiting for 4SAI to cut across their hull down positions. These were the T55s of the 3rd Battalion — the commanders and the gunners were Cuban, while the drivers were Angolan. As the SADF had found out earlier on the 14th Feb…

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Episode 101 – The Valentines Day assault on 59 Brigade and a Cuban tank ambush 22:37

1+ y ago22:37

22:37

It’s the second week of January 1988 and FAPLAs 21st, 59th and 25th Brigades had taken up the front line in what was to be a three layered defenses ahead of the Tumpo Triangle, where two roads joined just north of the Tumpo River. That was aeast of Cuito Cuanavale. Behind these three Brigades, 16th and 66th hunkered down in expectation of an SADF f…

1
Episode 100 – FAPLA pushed from their positions along the Chambinga High Ground on Friday 13th 22:27

1+ y ago22:27

22:27

D-Day for the renewed attack on FAPLA’s 21 Brigade was reset from January 5th to January 13th 1988 - a Friday, for those who suffered from triskaidekaphobia - a fear of Friday the 13th, it merely served to increase their worries. 4 SAI was now being led by Commandant Jan Malan who replaced Leon Marais, 61 Mech was under temporary command of Koos Li…

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Episode 99 – The SAAF tests a top secret weapon while new recruits come to terms with giant moths and skulking MiGs 22:56

1+ y ago22:56

22:56

We’re approaching the date of Operation Hooper, but first a bit of bad news for the SADF regarding disease. The heavy rains through November and December of 1987 had created a perfect breeding ground for the flies and mosquitoes that carried hepatitis and malaria. This was impacting the morale let alone the operational capacity of the army. The rep…

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Episode 98 – Hougaard goes marauding and a Russian commander dies as an ammunition bunker explodes 20:56

1+ y ago20:56

20:56

When we left off last episode it was the end of Operation Moduler, and Cuban Leader Fidel Castro had begun to consider a negotiated solution to the Namibian and Angolan war. There was a side-show planned before the next major op in Angola. The SADF top brass had finally decided to try and cut off the logistics route west of Cuito Cuanavale through …

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Episode 97 – Castro starts to talk peace but along the Cuito River all hell rains down 23:14

1+ y ago23:14

23:14

We’re wrapping up Operation Moduler this episode and throwing forward to the next assault on Cuito Cuanavale which was to fixate the South African political leadership at a time when the Cold War was melting away. This was to have a direct effect on the satellite wars such as those in Angola. Assessing this stage of the conflict it all appeared to …

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Episode 96 – The Chambinga Gallop and the end of Operation Moduler 24:39

1+ y ago24:39

24:39

FAPLAs 21 and 25 Brigades were manoeuvring around the western edge of the 1370 meter high Viposto high ground which lay south of the Hube and Chambinga Rivers before dawn on the 16th November 1987- and those rivers flowed in an almost direct east to west direction. That meant the Angolan Brigades were now squeezed between the high ground and the ri…

1
Episode 95 – 21/25 Brigade makes a dash for the Chambinga Bridge amidst heroics by 32's Van Zyl 24:19

1+ y ago24:19

24:19

We’re into the final phase of Operation Moduler in November 1987, and the SADF was lining up FAPLAs 16 Brigade after giving them a bloody nose on the 9th. Combat Group Bravo was going to draw FAPLAs attention between the Mianei and Vimpula Rivers, south east of Cuito Cuanavale, but that was a diversion. 59 Brigade was based here, and moving slowly …

1
Episode 94 – South African and Russian tanks go toe-to-toe at the Chambinga river in southern Angola 21:14

1+ y ago21:14

21:14

It’s early morning November 9th 1987 and the SADF was advancing towards FAPLAs 16th Brigade based at the source of the Chambinga River. The Angolan brigade had received orders to shift eastwards, and the units were about to move when the SADF launched their attack. The first sign of the impending assault was an artillery bombardment and SAAF bombin…

1
Episode 93 – Russians claim chemical weapon attack as the SADF pounds FAPLA 20:50

1+ y ago20:50

20:50

Colonel Deon Ferreira was putting the final touches together for the next phase of Operation Moduler, in late October 1987. The South Africans had reorganised themselves into three combat groups for the upcoming push against FAPLA north of the Lomba River. Combat Group Alpha was initially led by Kobus Smit of 61 Mech, but he was about to be rotated…

1
Episode 92 – An indebted Pretoria fixates on Cuito Cuanavale 21:34

1+ y ago21:34

21:34

At the beginning of October 1987 One Recce moved into the southern Angolan region replacing Five Recce and by the time the SADF top brass had decided the final course of action, a group of 30 Recces flew by C-130 from Durban Air Force base to Rundu It was at Rundu where a critically important meeting had taken place on the 15th October when Army Ch…

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Episode 91 – Russians on the Lomba and the Olifant Battle Tank 25:51

1+ y ago25:51

25:51

FAPLA had taken a battering at the Battle of the Lomba River on 3rd October 1987 - the SADF had crushed 47 Brigade, and they had also dealt t21 Brigade a serious blow earlier as you’ve heard. Operation Modular had led to a mauling - and the Angolans began withdrawing northwards. The South Africans had been victorious despite being hopelessly outnum…

1
Episode 90 – FAPLAs 47th Brigade shattered as Operation Moduler continues 22:20

1+ y ago22:20

22:20

One of the most crucial periods of the Border War was under way - although military strategists didn’t realise this until a little later. It was imperative for FAPLA to take Mavinga, this would have pushed the South Africans much further south - and factored into Luanda’s plan along with the Cubans to begin building longer runways for bombers and f…

1
Episode 89 – Mirages, MiGs, missiles & the Lomba River tango to the death 23:29

1+ y ago23:29

23:29

We heard last episode how Operation Modular had begun, and how FAPLAs 21st Brigade had been stopped from crossing the Lomba River by Major Hannes Nortmann and his squadron of Ratels using the experimental ZRT3 rockets in early September 1987. This was happening along a river where the approaches were a mix of tropical grasslands and riverine bush t…

1
Episode 88 – Operation Moduler begins with T54/55s taking on Ratels at the Lomba 23:18

1+ y ago23:18

23:18

The first phase of Operation Modular has begun. 32 Battalion, the Recces and UNITA are facing 8 FAPLA Brigades in southern Angola, four of these have advanced towards Mavinga. As you hear last episode, FAPLas 21 and 47 Brigade of about 3000 men were on their way to the Lomba River, north west of Mavinga. Chief of the Army Lieutenant General Kat Lie…

1
Episode 87 –Crocodiles attack Recces and the Lomba River heavy metal clash looms 24:38

1+ y ago24:38

24:38

The SADF was now facing a crisis as the MPLA government in Angola was growing increasingly determined to crush UNITA in the south east. The Apartheid government was also facing an internal uprising and new organisations had been developed to deal with these. In this episode we hear about Colonel Piet Muller who commanded Sector 20 in SWA. He had co…

1
Episode 86 – The SAAF harried in Angola and Soviets import arms from Afghanistan 20:30

1+ y ago20:30

20:30

We are traveling with 5 Recce and they are planning to attack the SWAPO base that was discovered by some systematic sleuthing by Koos Stadler and Jose da Costa as you heard last episode. The base was north of Tethamutete, east of the Cubango River - and from Menongue, heavily armed, a few hundred SWAPO cadres, perhaps as many as 350 were training a…

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Episode 85 – Small teams missions behind enemy lines and the courage of 7 Med 23:18

1+ y ago23:18

23:18

We’ve heard about the 1 Recce and 4 Recce and the covert war throughout this series, and at times, I’ve included the voices or the individual stories where possible. Unfortunately there is just not enough space and time to include everyone’s personal views or their memories. However, in this episode, I’m going to concentrate on two specific Special…

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Episode 84 - FAPLA renew their offensive against UNITA at Mavinga 19:55

1+ y ago19:55

19:55

It’s early 1986 and the SADF had learned a great deal through 1985, particularly what FAPLA were up to. In the time of the Joint Commission you heard about, both sides were actively collecting intelligence about each other - their operating procedure, their weaknesses and their strengths. After years of strategy and diplomacy, the protagenists in t…

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Episode 83 – The most ambitious Op involving SADF special Forces hits Namibe 24:41

1+ y ago24:41

24:41

By January 1986 internal unrest in South Africa that had started in 1984 was in full swing – with the security forces hard pressed to cope. The SA Police were largely responsible for dealing with the ANC and PAC internally, although the SADF was going to get much more involved later. The unrest would barely calm down before the SADF was involved in…

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Episode 82 – More Russian choppers down and 32 learns how to use SATNAV 20:41

1+ y ago20:41

20:41

It’s September 1985, and the SA Air Force and ground forces have already shot down two Russian helicopters and an Antonov transport plane. That was an attempt at slowing down an MPLA ground assault using it’s PLAN troops against UNITA at Mavinga. If you remember, this was the Angolans Operation Second Congress. On the 29th September, 32 Battalion g…

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Episode 81 – The MPLA attacks UNITA and the SAAF shoots down Russian choppers 18:57

1+ y ago18:57

18:57

By mid-1985 air traffic between Lubango on the Atlantic coast and Cuito Cuanavale in southern Angola had grown exponentially. Since the railway line running east had been rendered useless by UNITA, the MPLA was relying heavily on transport planes to get their logistics to the front. Daily flights of the Soviet Antonovs could be seen carrying troops…

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Episode 80 – An SA Navy sub damaged at the end of the failed Cabinda raid 20:22

1+ y ago20:22

20:22

We’re picking up where we left off in Episode 79 with Captain Wynana Du Toit captured, two Recces dead, and six others hiding in a coastal thicket surrounded by FAPLA intent on capturing or killing them. Operation Argon in 1985 was one part of a two-punch with the plan to send nine operators were heading to oil storage tanks at Cabinda enclave – th…

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Episode 79 – A shootout on a Cabinda beach and the capture of Cpt Wynand du Toit 23:24

1+ y ago23:24

23:24

Last episode we covered one of 32 Battalion’s darkest days, the mauling they received at the hands of SWAPO on 11th February 1985, where Charlie Company walked straight into one of the better prepared SWAPO bases after taking what some say was a short cut. The death toll on the South African side was heavy, 13 soldiers from 32 Battalion’s Charlie c…

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Episode 78 – Operation “foreskin” and 32 runs into a SWAPO firestorm 19:15

1+ y ago19:15

19:15

We’re traveling with 32 Battalion’s Echo and Golf companies which had entered Angola and were deployed in pseudo-operations – something called Operation Forte was on the go in 1984. When we left off, the convoy of vehicles had headed directly north and were heading towards Savate about 50km into Angola. Colonel Eddie Viljoen led this unusual operat…

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Episode 77 – The Recces blow up locomotives and 32 Battalion dresses like UNITA 19:54

1+ y ago19:54

19:54

By the second half of 1984 the Joint Monitoring Commission was virtually on its last legs and the SADF Special Forces were involved in a number of missions both by sea and across the cutline. The first we’re going to hear about was an the audacious plan to blow up Angolan railway rolling stock, including locomotives at the shunting yard at Lobito i…

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Episode 76 – Turned SWAPO cadres, Recce pseudo-operations & Soviet air strategy 18:57

2y ago18:57

18:57

It’s 1984 and the special forces have been busy as you heard in the last episode. The waterborne operations were on the go, but so too were ops into southern Angola with 32 Battalion changing its colours so to speak. They began to patrol the area dressed in SWAPO uniforms, so much for the SADF’s promise to adhere to the terms of a Joint Monitoring …

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Episode 75 – Russian OSA2 missile boats targeted in 1984’s Operation Nobilis 20:27

2y ago20:27

20:27

This is episode 75 and we’re covering events in 1984 where various issues had arisen. The South Africans and the Angolans had been jointly patrolling southern Angola in what was supposed to be the preamble to peace in Namibia. But the Joint Monitoring process had failed by July 1984 with SWAPO continuing to occupy the southern region of Angola, and…

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Episode 74 – FAPLA/SADF joint patrols hit a wobble & Recce Op Bouganvilia 20:57

2y ago20:57

20:57

We just finished hearing about Operation Askari, and a quick note. I said that the Eland armoured would no longer be used for cross -border operations after Askari, but that’s incorrect. A listener who was on board an Eland much later in 1987 explained how he was part of an operation called Firewood, where the Eland was used to head across the cutl…

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Episode 73 – A 1984 cease-fire as the SADF and FAPLA conduct joint patrols 22:37

2y ago22:37

22:37

Operation Askari has ended but not the recriminations. While on the surface the SADF gave off a great deal of positive propaganda, the loss of 21 men and equipment including three Ratels, and the haphazard manner in which the planning had taken place, was a sign that all was not well. The morale of the Citizen Force units was unacceptable said the …

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Episode 72 – Cuvelai III: A Ratel destroyed by a T54 and an Impala narrow escape 21:37

2y ago21:37

21:37

The Battle of Cuvelai two was a blood letting of note, with FAPLAs 11th Brigade now bottled up in the town, with the SADF Task Force Victor and X-Ray on their doorstep. 32 Battalion had pulled off a bloodless takeover of Techumutete during the last days of 1983, which at the time was regarded as a momentous achievement. However, they’d also doomed …

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Episode 71 – The Battle of Cuvelai II: Bundu-bashing into Soviet T54/55s 22:01

2y ago22:01

22:01

It’s the first days of January 1984 and Operation Askari has hit a few hiccups. Task Force Victor failed to take Cuvelai in the first Battle for the town at the end of December as you heard last episode and Combat Team one had been mauled. Both Combat Team 1 and 2 retreated two kilometers north west of the town then turned and headed south west whe…

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Episode 70 – Operation Askari missteps at Cahama and Cuvelai 24:57

2y ago24:57

24:57

It’s operation Askari, and 61 Mech’s has fulfilled the first part of the plan, driving FAPLA out of Quiteve and now were approaching Cahama, which is 96 kilometers north west of Xangongo. This was going to be a tough nut to crack. FAPLAs second Brigade was ensconced in strongly fortified positions to the north and south of the town. The defenders h…

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Episode 69 – Operation Askari begins with a reconnaissance drone 17:45

2y ago17:45

17:45

By November 1983 the SADF was prepping for the significant operation called Askari, and the Air Force was playing its part. The original plan was for the op to start on the 9th November but political negotiations had led to a postponement to the 9th December. Meanwhile, the SA Air Force had sent up their remotely piloted vehicle or RPV– in Xangongo…

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Episode 68 – UNITA overruns Cangamba with SAAF help but Russia gets proactive 19:33

2y ago19:33

19:33

By April 1983, SADF intelligence picked up that SWAPO had begun improving its military position in Angola and that their armed wing PLAN had managed a major incursion into Ovamboland. Then things went very quiet and intelligence reports suggested there seemed to be a link between SWAPOs special Unit being withdrawn, the signs of a large incursion i…

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Episode 67–A rifle grenade in a ribcage, an Ionde minefield mishap and a Dragon 22:16

2y ago22:16

22:16

By now, 32 Battalion had setup their HQ at Ongiva airport, a few kilometers outside the town, and 40 kilometers north of the cutline. But the Battalion was going to move their mobile Task force HQ further into Angola to Ionde as you’re going to hear and the signs were all there for what would become a pivotal year in the Border War. It was during t…

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Episode 66 – Another MiG shot down and Russian VIPs arrive 18:33

2y ago18:33

18:33

We heard last episode about Operation Meebos and the shooting down of a Puma with the loss of 15 men. The SADF was now determined to follow-up the company of SWAPO who’d been based near the Mui river and who’s Anti-aircraft guns had delivered such a potent message. The Alouette gunships were circling the area on that day in August, 1982, and they r…

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Episode 65 – Ops Meebos where SWAPO AA fire downs a Puma 20:09

2y ago20:09

20:09

We’re back in 1982 after a hiatus covering the seaborne operations and an update from the SA Air Force which had had a busy May as you heard in Episode 64. Things on the ground in SWA showed that SWAPO was almost fully recovered from the hammering they took during Operation Protea – their own Operation had killed three farmers and 8 security force …

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Episode 64 – Another Maputo raid and Hearts and Minds in the Kavango 21:03

2y ago21:03

21:03

It’s 1980 and in February Robert Mugabe’s ZANU movement was about to win the first Zimbabwean election - managing to scape a small majority – they won 57 seats out of 100. Not exactly a landslide then. In April, Mugabe would officially be declared prime minister and the country would become independent from the United Kingdom. ON the 1st April, the…

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